


Fear and Confusion - Pre War Fallout Story

by Ash_Pendragon



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout - Fandom, Fallout 3, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Fallout: New Vegas, Pre War Fallout
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:07:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24179422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ash_Pendragon/pseuds/Ash_Pendragon
Summary: A family in a quiet little town have their entire lives changed by the effects of the Great War.
Kudos: 1





	Fear and Confusion - Pre War Fallout Story

**Author's Note:**

> This was a short story I wrote for a writing challenge in the Fallout RP Amino. Not my best writing, but I hope you enjoy my take on the end of the world.

Fear. That's all there was. Confusion also, but mainly fear. No one knew what was happening. No one understood why. Minds raced. Children cried. Panic was everywhere. It seemed that only moments ago, life was perfect. The world was finally starting to recover. Soldiers returned home. Families reunited after months away from each other. Everything was bliss. 

For the residents of this little town, not too far from the coast, that day was all about preparation. Halloween was a much-anticipated celebration, and it was approaching fast. Many families were excitedly purchasing costumes or decorating their houses with carved pumpkins, and fake tombstones placed on their fresh-cut lawns. "Anything Goes" by Cole Porter quietly played on many radios throughout the town. Couples danced, while children terrorised their neighbours as ghosts and zombies. Some mothers were preparing a special breakfast, while some fathers were painting fences or hanging up special lights. 

One of these fathers was helping his wife make cookies for their two children. They smelled divine. She'd always had a knack for making sweet treats. He looked out of the window to see that his sons were playing pirates together, using their playset as a pirate ship. After giving his wife a gentle kiss on the cheek, he stepped out into the warm air. The community spirit around this time of year made him feel happy. He stopped before his sons and asked permission if he could come aboard. He played alongside them, fighting huge sea monsters and other pirate crews. That was until his wife called out to him, clearly panicked. Dashing back inside with his sons in his arms, he found her shocked beside the TV. She told him to remain quiet as there was an emergency broadcast. 

"Followed by...yes followed by flashes. Blinding flashes. Sounds of explosions...we're trying to get some confirmation. But we seem to have lost contact with our affiliate stations. We do have...coming in...confirmed reports. I repeat confirmed reports of nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania. My God..." 

Those words. All it took was those words to change a man's life. Fear. That's all there was. Confusion also, but mainly fear. No one knew what was happening. No one understood why. Life was starting to get better, the fear from the war subsiding. Oh God, what could they do? Surely there was no way to outrun a nuclear bomb. Even if there was, what would they do after? Thankfully, New York and Pennsylvania were far away, which at least gave them a bit of time. He quickly gathered up his sons, who began to cry as they didn't understand what was happening. His wife gently soothed them, holding back her own tears. She was so brave. Maybe they could create a make-shift fallout shelter in the basement, but they didn't have enough food to last them the week. A fallout shelter...that was it! 

He gently took his wife's hand and ran in the direction of the nearby vault. He may have cursed at the workers for creating a lot of noise pollution a few months prior, but now he was extremely thankful for its location. Many ran towards the vault also, but others decided to stand outside their houses and embrace one another. He took a moment to wonder if he should do that instead, but if there was any way to protect his family, he would do it. No matter the cost. 

As they neared the vault, relief set over him, just as quickly as panic came back. Why was everyone lined up outside the gates?! He pushed past, to ask one of the Vault-Tec staff is he was allowed access, only to learn that the vault was accessible to those who had paid already. He had discussed the prospect of this with his wife before. He was more than willing to take up another job if it meant their futures would be secured. She told him that he shouldn't put himself under all that pressure for something that would most likely never happen. She cried into his arm, mumbling her apologies. 

Instead of arguing with the staff like other people were, he decided the best thing to do would be to take his family aside. No amount of arguing was going to save them. Sighing heavily, he sat on the ground, away from the hoards of people. His wife was clearly confused, but sat beside him, his children following suit. 

"D-dad? What's going on?" His eldest asked fearfully. He pulled all three of them into a large cuddle, making sure they were all facing him and not looking behind him. He wouldn't let them see, he couldn't. 

"I need you to listen to me. You three are the most important people in my life. No matter what happens, nothing can tear us apart. We're a family. We're a team. We've always stuck together and we will continue to do so," he told them, a tear of his own finally starting to slip. His sons cuddled into his chest, nodding but still confused. He gave his wife one last kiss before she put her head atop her sons. Almost as a sign of her gratefulness for everything he did. The look in her eyes showed her gratitude and compassion. He hoped he showed her the same. 

It seemed as if all of his memories were replaying before his very eyes. Fishing with his dad, starting school, meeting his wife, getting married. They all played out before him. It seemed as if he could drown out the noises of loud explosions and screaming with the first cries of his newborn sons and the singing from his wife on their wedding day. He felt his body go numb. He sensed that his wife had done the same. His sons trembling stopped and he heard their light snores. He smiled a little. He saved them. Not from death, but from pain. As his role of a husband and father was complete, he ignored the bright lights and the dust hurling towards him. He just continued to smile. Finally, he felt his mind slow. And eventually, he stopped thinking.


End file.
